62'2013France, Democratic Republic of the Congodirector: Dieudo Hamadicinematography: Dieudo Hamadiediting: Dieudo Hamadi, Penda Houzangbeproduction: Mutotu Productions
Atalaku, a street herald, organizes an election campaign on the streets of Kinshasa.
The main protagonist in Hamadi's film is Gaylor, a penniless pastor who plays the role of an atalaku, or city herald, during the 2011 presidential election in Congo. Gaylor offers his services to the candidate willing to pay the highest price. He then campaigns for him on the streets of Kinshasa, finds musicians who write him an election song and employs dancers and helpers. In the end, he is the one who is blamed for failing to keep the promises made by others. This insider’s view of the second free elections in the history of the Democratic Republic of the Congo was awarded a Joris Ivens Award at the Cinéma du réel festival in Paris.
